Toddy & Seafood, Anyone? (Coconut Flower Seafood Restaurant @ Teluk Gong, Klang)

Oohhh .... CNY's breathing down my neck !!! =P A week's off from work is like a dream come true eh? Let's hope this coming new year, everything will run smoothly, and inflation rate will drop to an all-time low. Yeah, right ....

Nothing beats sitting underneath those huts, in cooling weather, sipping (or binging) on a cold glass of toddy (fermented coconut drink) ....

Here's something from Klang, for a change. Most who have visited Klang would have acknowledged the popularity and abundance of Bak Kut Teh restaurants, sometimes proudly proclaimed as THE Klang Bak Kut Teh, almost synonymous with the town itself.

But one may wonder, since Bak Kut Teh in Klang is served mostly for breakfast-brunch, (yup, hardly able to find a good one for dinner ...) what can one eat for lunch or dinner?! No worries, as Teluk Gong in Klang is famous for seafood, paired with the perfect beverage, toddy (palm wine, or coconut flower wine?)

Starter .... Snacks that uncannily resembled Mamee snacks.


Fried Vermicelli with Clams ... really, really miniature baby clams (la-la)

Tom Yam Prawns in Coconut

Deep-fried Soft Shell Crabs

Or Chien (Oyster Omelette) with Mini Oysters

Locating this place is surprisingly, a walk in the park. Coming from Klang town, we managed to reach this place within 20 minutes. Least I remembered the trip was not too taxing, as we were in a holiday and cheery mood (it was after all, the beginning of the year!)

The place is spacious, with huts everywhere. One can choose to dine outside underneath the huts (with fans, no worries), or indoors. Ordering was a breeze, as I've already had the dishes listed on my mind, thanks to the various blog posts on this place.

The Fried Bihun (Vermicelli Noodles) with La-La (clams) is another one of Klang's signature of sorts, rarely heard of in this part of Malaysia (Ipoh, where I'm staying). The baby clams (really tiny ones) rendered a sweet-ish flavour to the fried bihun, which thankfully was fried exactly the way noodles should, not too dry, yet not too wet. But lacking in 'wok hei' (breath of the wok?).

The prawns (medium-sized ones) cooked in tom yum soup, then served in a hollowed coconut with flesh intact, were fresh, succulent, and not spicy at all. The coconut imparted the curry-like gravy (nothing like authentic tomyam though) a fresh and sweet taste, complete with sweet coconut flesh. If you think eating coconut with curry sounds funny, believe me, it isn't.

Yaaaaaaammmmmm ............... Seng!!!!

Both the Or Chien (Oyster Omelette) and Soft-Shelled Crabs were nothing to shout about though. And the medium serving of soft shelled crabs (TWO of them) costed RM40! Should've ordered salt-baked crabs instead, or steamed fish. And the soft-shelled crabs were soggy, salty, and not up to standard. Refrain from ordering these, my advice.

Notice the MODELS in the pic? =)

On the whole, the meal costed us about RM90+ for four, including the perennial favourite of the Indians (now I'm a fan as well!), TODDY! Sweet, sour, and served chilled, the drink is believed to cool the body, especially after a heaty/spicy meal. At RM2.50 per small bottle, and about RM8 per large bottle, it's WAY cheaper than the beer. Mix them with Guiness Stout, and you'll brew yourself a cocktail perfect with a seafood meal!

Location : Coconut Flower Seafood Restaurant @ 702, Jalan Udang Galah, Kampong Teluk Gong, 42000 Port Klang, Selangor. Opens for lunch and dinner everyday.

Seng Huat Bak Kut Teh in Klang - One of the Oldest Around ...

Still reeling from that hangover? Long weekends, peppered with so many offdays = FUN. If only we have summer/winter holidays as well. Wouldn't that be ideal? :)

Felt bad to have snapped the uncle while riding a bike ... but no flash, no worries.

One of the oldest Bak Kut Teh (BKT) in Klang, the town seemingly synonymous with BKT, traffic jams and erm, the Indian street, Seng Huat is commonly referred to by the locals as THE Bak Kut Teh under the bridge, in the older part of Klang town.

The 2nd or 3rd generation of the legacy that is, Seng Huat

Klang houses an astounding number of outlets selling BKT. From wet to dry, from traditional to the modernized versions, and served in porcelain bowls, to claypots.

The older version of BKT does not incorporate a lot of herbs, hence the darker, and thicker soup with HUGE chunks of meat, ranging from the belly to the ribs, and even a WHOLE piece of rib. Personal interests come to play here, as some prefer the commercialized version in claypot, with lots of ingredients such as mushrooms, pork balls, vegetables and stronger herbal aroma,

The paper cuttings dated some 10 yrs ago ... testament to its popularity transcending generations?

At Seng Huat, the concept is slightly different. Entering the corner shoplot right beside the pedestrian-cum-vehicles bridge, you won't fail to notice 1) the crowd, 2) the guy (or lady) chopping up a storm, picking on pieces after pieces of meat from the 'cauldron', and serving them rapidly in bowls for consumption. Yup, without the bells and whistles of golden mushrooms, balls, innards and such. (But of course, you CAN request for extras)

Single portion for RM6.50

The meat was tender, fall-off-the-bones type (if you order ribs), and delicious. You have to request for chopped garlic if you're one who can't live without them. Some older outlets DO NOT serve chilli padi (bird's eye chilli) nor garlic as they claim the condiments 'spoil' the natural sweetness and flavour of the pork. One such outlet is nearby, a street away, somewhat related to Seng Huat, yet even older. Yup, something of Jurassic proportion.

The soup base was not as addictive as Teluk Pulai's version. You can't really taste the herbs as obvious, in comparison. The rice was not drizzled with much onion oil as I'd preferred, and only sprinkled with miniscule amount of fried shallots. Gimme a whole bottle of them, anyday!

Mixed Pig's Innards (RM6.50)

The stomach, intestines and whatnots came separately, in a rather big serving. If you're eating alone, refrain from ordering a bowl to yourself, as after the 10th piece of intestine and stomach, I felt a bit 'jelak' from all the unwanted parts.

Overall, the place came short of my expectations. Or probably I was expecting too much from Klang's (over)hyped BKT? =)

Location : SENG HUAT BAK KUT TEH @ 9, Jalan Besar, Klang.

Sate Kajang Haji Samuri @ Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang

All 2-3 shoplots of the largest (?) chain of satay restaurants in Malaysia

Mention the word Satay (or Sate in Malay, gee ... how "original"), and most Malaysians, foodie or not, and even most tourists would be able to recognize the charred, grilled, and smoked marinated meat on sticks (not unlike yakitori, albeit with a dryer texture and gravy-less when being grilled).

Vast dining area, with fans and air-conditioners, and ample seats for satay-lovers

Sate Kajang Haji Samuri is undoubtedly, THE most popular branch of Kajang satay, which in turn, is the undisputed KING of satay restaurants in Malaysia. (Do correct me if I'm wrong though). With 15 branches and growing, mostly in Klang Valley, this household name has been grilling and serving the yummy-licious charcoal-grilled meat for years.

Few years ago, I was introduced to this brand of Kajang satay by my father, who frequented the outlet at Kesas highway rest area for his fix of the grilled temptations. Ever since then, I was hooked. Come rain or shine, whenever I visited KL, I'd make it a point to stop by the rest area, and ate til my heart's content, then takeaway a few dozens of them for late night cravings.

The meat was chunky, devoid of fatty and charred parts, and the peanut sauce was heavenly, coupled with their own concoction of sambal. Not to mention the delicious nasi himpit which comes in the form of a roll of condensed rice (think ketupat, but rolled up like lemang).

Mix your own gravy by adding the sambal into the peanut sauce, depending on your mood - Fiery? Mild? Moody?

Bukit Tinggi in Klang has another branch, opened only a year or two ago, I think. Occupying two shoplots in the maze after maze of restaurants and cafes in Bukit Tinggi, the shop has its loyal followings. But the number of seats are sufficient to cater to the crowd.

What makes the satay here special compared to your usual, run-of-the-mill satay warung? Firstly, the gravy. They provide you with a bowl of peanut sauce, and a smaller bowl of sambal (quite oily, but spicy). Mix the sambal according to how spicy you want your sauce to be, but do not go overboard, else you can't taste the marinated meat in all its glory.

Erm, am I seeing things here? *_*

Secondly, the marinated skewered meat, aka the main event, the SATAY. Previously, the chunks of marinated meat was tasteful, juicy and not dry, and perfect when coupled with the sauce. I could indulge in dozens after dozens of them in one sitting.

However, sad to say, the quality has dropped significantly. Possibly the problem lies with this outlet only, I can't be sure. Needless to explain, as from the picture above, you can see the over-grilled meat, burnt, and the chunks aren't so generous anymore (forgiven, considering each stick is only 60 cents for chicken/beef, and slightly higher for rabbit, lamb, innards etc).

The nasi himpit was sold out on that particular day. Shucks. That could've saved the culinary experience.

Location : Restoran Sate Kajang Haji Samuri @ 27 0-1, Lorong Batu Nilam 1E, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang. Tel : 03-3324 2906.

Klang's Famous Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh

A colonial building ... possibly Klang's municipal building?

Klang town is notorious/infamous for a few reasons. The traffic jams. The un-clean surroundings. And the traffic jams. Oh, did I repeat myself there? ;)

A touch of royalty ...

But of course, this town, situated around 30km from Kuala Lumpur, houses the royal palace for the Sultan of Selangor, and one of the busiest (if not THE busiest) port in Malaysia, Port Klang. It is also one of the world's busiest seaport.

A boy cycling past the gate of the palace

Soon to be granted city status, Klang is rapidly developing, and flourishing, indeed a future force to be reckon with, in terms of tourism and development.

But of course, Klang is famous for one specific dish. Even the most un-foodie of Malaysians are able to correlate Klang with Bak Kut Teh, a herbal soup concoction with various pork cuts, from ribs to lean cuts, and tenderloin, and served with various type of vegetables.

Side view of Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh

After tasting several of Klang's best offerings, Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh in Taman Intan, Klang (opposite of Jusco Bukit Raja, but DO NOT cross the busy highway, you're just walking into your own grave!!!) managed to impress me time and again. Even boo_licious, Joe, kySpeaks and several others agreed.

Opens for breakfast and lunch only, the place is packed on most days

Choose your brew

The place is packed on most days, typically on public holidays and weekends. Unlike Ipoh's Bak Kut Teh outlets, here you pick your own Chinese tea, brew them with a steaming kettle of hot water placed on strategic locations, and wait patiently for your serving of Bak Kut Teh.

Normally, the person sitting nearest to the kettle would be automatically in-charged of brewing and pouring tea for everyone on the table

Yau Char Kwai - Chinese crullers

Most outlets serve mediocre Yau Char Kwai to complement the fragrant herbal soup. But not in this restaurant. The flavourful fried dough/breadsticks are crunchy, and soak up the soup really well, providing squirts of aromatic herbal aroma with every bite.

White rice with fried shallots

The white, fluffy rice served with Klang's Bak Kut Teh is different from other states. Firstly, the rice is drizzled with fragrant oil, and the sprinkling of fried shallots on the rice is a good enough reason to consume the rice on its own.

Claypot brimming with porky-licious cuts

You can pick your preferred cuts of pork, from the usual 'bun fei sau' (half lean-half fat) to pork ribs, and tenderloin to 'yat chi kuat' (a whole bone, resembling chicken drumstick). Innards are served as well, and you can choose golden mushrooms ("kam cham ku") and additional "foo chook" (beancurds) if desired.

Soon to disappear in minutes ...

The fragrant herbal soup, not overpowering, but not as diluted as some restaurants' offerings. You can request for unlimited top-up of the soup, for free. A wise option, considering even without the meats, eating the rice with soup alone is a feast in its own right. Delightful, and warming concoction of Bak Kut Teh, possibly THE best in Klang, and even Malaysia.

Front view of the shop

Total for 4, including drinks and rice = RM39. We ordered a portion for 3 person, as this was BREAKFAST after all. Oh, and here in Klang, you can even opt for HALF portion, eg. 1.5 portion if you're eating with a friend, particularly with small-eaters.

Location : Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh @ 32, Jalan Batai Laut 5, Kawasan 16, Taman Intan, 41300 Klang. Do refer to the other bloggers' posts for directions.

Chong Kok Kopitiam, Klang

Continuation from KL Food Tour 2nd edition, haha, as the backlog of places I've eaten remain as many, and poor old memory kept failing me often, better rush through all the old picks before turning to newer ones.

This old kopitiam has its own history, and the special thing is you can find Malays, Chinese, Indians, etc sitting on their tables, sipping the coffees and enjoying their toasts, all under one roof. How 'muhibbah' can you get?

a> Fried Beehoon and Kuey Teow with Sambal

I actually ordered nasi lemak, my personal favourite breakfast, but did not get to take photo. Why? After standing around very long for a place to sit, once we found one, i just queued up for the nasi lemak, (yes, self service one) got it, and started chomping down, completely forgetting to whip out my trusty camera phone. One of the special thing about the nasi lemak is the sambal. The right spiciness, sourness and generous anchovies and onions, it is very tasty and goes very well with the fluffy fragrant rice. In case you're wondering, the owner of the stall is a Malay lady, assisted by a Malay guy(possibly her hubby), frantically scooping hot nasi lemak from a huge bucket( pic below) and throwing various complimentary ingredients eg. ONE boiled egg, cucumber, peanuts etc.

Steamed Bread with Kaya and Butter

The fried beehoon and kuey teow with sambal, (suspect it's the same sambal from nasi lemak stall) was nothing special, but still pretty satisfactory. We ordered toast but the waitress (Malay, mind you) got it wrong and gave us steamed bread. Hmm, not really my choice, but interestingly after taking the 1st bite, I was hooked! Fluffy, soft, generously layered with butter and kaya, the bread was quite exceptional! No wonder many customers order this.

Hot Coffee

Their main selling point? The drinks. This IS a kopitiam after all. Thick coffee, aromatic, and strong, it definitely will perk your day up. However, as I'm more accustomed to the smell and taste of Ipoh white coffee, I can't agree that this version comes close. Still, NOT a bad choice.

The nasi lemak stall

The price for the food and drinks is reasonable, everything below RM2 I think. Forgot the real price la. Haha ... Oh ya, the 1st time I went, they have deep fried sweet potatoes, yams, tapioca, etc that was very cheap, roughly RM1 for 3 BIG pieces, and very tasty. But on this 2nd visit, they were not available.

Location? I have no idea. But it is at the old part of Klang town. There is a KTM station, I think. Anyone interested can get more precise directions. Just ask.

Restoran Tien Chuan, Tmn Chi Liung, Klang

One fine morning, my fren decided to bring me for breakfast at some simple coffee shop around Klang. Not sure the full address though, but the garden is Taman Chi Liung, or something like that, an old area with few rows of shops, and a morning market right behind a row of shops.

He ordered nasi lemak, as many people was queueing up for this, and Malay lady was scooping HOT rice from the container. HOT nasi lemak ought to be good. Costing around RM1.80 or RM2, forgot la, it came with fried egg, ikan bilis & peanuts, and sambal. Simple, yet it worked! The sambal was not hot, but just right with enough onions and very appetizing as it was sour enough. Nice, and the main point was ... it was indeed, hot.

But the nasi lemak was just another popular dish, the main attraction of this coffee shop is .... the amazing yam rice! Or at least that was what he told me la. Haha ...

Unlike the usual one that you can order with bak kut teh, the version they sell here is slightly different. Served with the usual condiments accompanying Hokkien Mee, or prawn mee, it is no surprise the stall sells Hokkien Mee as well.

The rice is fluffy without being extra lumpy or sticky, though supplemented with generously cubed yam, which was 'powdery' (dunno how to explain la) enough, boiled mini shrimps, slices of chicken, fried shallots, and one whole boiled egg, at RM2.50 (or RM3, i couldn't rmbr again, hehe) it was a VERY affordable breakfast meal. Oh ya, the sambal chilli sauce was nothing to shout about btw.

The shop also sells chee cheong fun with yong tau foo, and a few more stalls I once again, forgot. =P .... Need directions? Will gladly help if the need arises ....